ASA physical status classification system
| ASA PS classification | Definition | Examples, including but not limited to: |
| ASA I | A normal healthy patient | Healthy, non-smoking, no or minimal alcohol use |
| ASA II | A patient with mild systemic disease | Mild diseases only without substantive functional limitations. Examples include (but not limited to): current smoker, social alcohol drinker, pregnancy, obesity (30<BMI<40), well-controlled DM or HTN, mild lung disease. |
| ASA III | A patient with severe systemic disease | Substantive function limitation; one or more moderate to severe diseases. Examples include (but not limited to): poorly controlled DM or HTN, COPD morbid obesity (BMI>40), active hepatitis, alcohol dependence or abuse, implanted pacemaker, moderate reduction or ejection fraction. ESRD undergoing regularly scheduled dialysis, history (>3 months of MI, CVA, TIA or CAD/stents). |
| ASA IV | A patient with severe systemic disease that is a constant threat to life | Examples include (but not limited to) recent (<3 months) MI, CVA, TIA or CAD/stents ongoing cardiac ischaemia or severe valve dysfunction, severe reduction or ejection fraction, sepsis DIC, ARD or ESRD not undergoing regularly scheduled dialysis. |
| ASA V | A moribund patient who is not expected to survive | Examples include (but not limited to) ruptured abdominal/thoracic aneurysm, massive trauma, intracranial bleed with mass effect, ischaemic bowel in the face of significant cardiac pathology or multiple organ/systemic dysfunction. |
| ASA VI | A patient declared brain dead whose organs are being removed for donor purposes |
ARD, acute respiratory distress; BMI, body mass index; CAD, coronary artery disease; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CVA, cerebrovascular accident; DIC, disseminated intravascular coagulation; DM, diabetes mellitus; ESRD, end-stage renal disease; HTN, hypertension; MI, myocardial infarction; PS, physical status; TIA, transient ischaemic attack.